Practicing witchcraft in public
I have seen a clip in the social media showing a person practicing witchcraft in the middle of a road in broad daylight but was not arrested by police or militia. Is that conduct not a crime? Does the law allow people to practice witchcraft in broad daylight like that?
GF, Dar es Salaam
Under section 3 of the Witchcraft Act [Cap.18 R.E 2002], practicing witchcraft whether in public or in secret and be it at night or in broad daylight is an offence. A person who by his statement or action represents himself to have the power of witchcraft commits an offence.
Moreover, if it is proved that the witchcraft was committed with intent to cause injury, disease, death, misfortune to a person or community or cause an injury to property or an animal, the offender is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than 7 years. However, if the witchcraft is committed not for such purposes, the offender is liable to a fine or imprisonment for a term of not less than 5 years. We therefore confirm that practicing witchcraft is a serious offence in Tanzania which attracts a serious penalty.